


A Bittersweet Victory

by princevector



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alcohol, Bartenders, M/M, ygoshipolympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4517133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princevector/pseuds/princevector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Sawatari challenges Yuuya to a duel... except the only luck involved is Sawatari's specialty, and Yuuya's kindness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bittersweet Victory

**Author's Note:**

> Another entry for the YGO Ship Olympics! Please enjoy this fic!

A man walks into a bar—

 

A sudden rush of déjà vu settles in. The young man swallows hard, hands clammy, face a little flushed, and _oh_ does his chest ache. He’s not sick, far from it, even if he’s feeling a little under the weather. An assumption that his mind is just playing tricks on him, just as the sound of that familiar voice rings through the air.

 

Just like an angel. 

 

Or maybe a devil, toying with the strings of his heart. Surely this was getting out of hand, and the man of the hour, Shingo Sawatari, was determined to take care of this little ‘problem.’

 

The problem that started a few weeks ago. Meeting fellow bartender Sakaki Yuuya certainly changed his life, in more ways than one. Yes, he certainly learned a few new tricks about sweet and delightful cocktails, but Sawatari was from pleased.  He sacrificed his pride in an attempt to prove himself the better bartender, and ended up failing in the end. Leaving the You Show Bar, he knew it wouldn’t the last encounter he’d have with Yuuya. In fact, he was looking forward to seeing him again— just so he could relish in a victory that he would surely have. 

 

After a humiliating defeat by the hands of one Sakaki Yuuya, Sawatari was determined to have his revenge. 

 

_“Sakaki Yuuya!”_

 

The voice bellows throughout the bar, startling numerous customers and immediately gaining the attention of the bartender himself. Yuuya, currently washing glasses, puts down his cloth and leans against the counter, sending a less-than-amused smirk in Sawatari’s direction. 

 

“Sawatari, how many times have I told you not to just come barging in here at the top of your lungs?” An exasperated sigh and with that his expression softens up significantly. “Listen, I’m not sure what you want this time, but I’m in the middle of working and—“

 

“I challenge you to a duel!”

 

Unfazed that Yuuya was, considering this is the _fifth_ time Sawatari’s challenged him to a ‘cocktail duel.’ He can’t say he’s entirely annoyed though— Sawatari is quite the interesting individual, and to say he wasn’t slightly fond of his presence would make him a fair liar. So he throws down the cloth, pulls out some cocktail glasses, and gestures for the other bartender to come on over. 

 

“Alright then, Sawatari. What are the rules this time around?” 

 

 _Not that Sawatari follows them himself_ , Yuuya recalls their last match, when the other man cleverly snuck in a secret ingredient or two into his drink. Sneaky sneaky.

 

“No rules this time! I say we go all out, once and for all, to see who’s the real best bartender around!” Sawatari pulls out a couple of bottles of liquor, eyes glued onto the varieties of alcohol behind the counter. “However, we’ll try each other’s drinks this time! Our own specialties! Whoever drinks the whole thing, wins it!”

 

Yuuya smiles, immediately grabbing all of his ingredients for his _ultimate_ specialty. 

 

Davis Brandy:

  * 2 Parts Cognac
  * 1 Part Dry Vermouth
  * 4 Dashes Grenadine
  * 1 Dash Bitter



 

It’s a simple mixture, a vivid shade of red, but this drink comes with a bitter twist— quite literally. It’s one of Yuuya’s absolute beverages, and a preferred choice amongst his own customers. Then again, as Sawatari once said, his customers have a ‘unique’ taste in drinks. Whether or not that was a compliment flew right over Yuuya’s head, but nevertheless he’s devoted to delivering only the finest cocktails to his loyal customers. 

 

While Yuuya was occupied with preparing his specialty, Sawatari had gotten started with his own drink. He thought of it as spectacular, and so did his customers. Most importantly though, he wanted to impress Yuuya with his bartending skills. This isn’t just a test of skills; his pride is also one the line. However the name… is always considered quite questionable.

 

Sex on the Beach:

  * 1.5 oz Vodka
  * .5 oz Peach schnapps
  * 1.5 oz Orange or pineapple juice
  * 1.5 oz Cranberry juice
  * .5 oz Chambord or crème de cassis (optional)



 

But who cares if it has a silly name! It’s strong and delicious, just like Sawatari himself (or so he claims).

 

When Yuuya sees what he’s up to, he can’t help but cover his hand to stifle the laughter that he tries to hide. Sawatari scowls, finishes mixing up the ingredients, and pours it into a cocktail glass. 

 

“You won’t be laughing after you try this drink, Sakaki Yuuya!”

 

 _Fine fine,_ and Yuuya finishes up his drink, pouring it into his respective cocktail glass and sliding it over to Sawatari. After wiping his hands, Yuuya turns his attention to the drink placed in front of him, tracing the rim with a clean finger and humming at the sound the glass produces. He’s heard about this drink— good and bad things. That yes, it tasted fantastic in the hands of a master. However, on the other hand it’s also incredibly strong.

 

And he needed to drive home tonight. Great.

 

Yuuya takes a small sip, savoring the smooth, peachy taste. It’s sweet, tart, but rather pleasant. However, since he certainly wasn’t planning to have another cocktail match with Sawatari today, he already knew what the result of the match would be.

 

Then again, he’s won every other competition they’ve held, so Yuuya has no qualms about letting Sawatari win this round. Besides, seeing the other’s reactions to his bitter concoction is totally worth it. 

 

Sawatari licks his lips, tasting the bitterness on his them, wincing a little. He’s not a huge fan of bitter beverages but he’ll manage— if it means winning this match and keeping his pride in good measure. Yuuya can only smile as he takes one last final sip and watches Sawatari takes his in… _a little too quickly._

 

_He’s definitely gonna ask for a ride home tonight._

 

“Hanging in there, Sawatari?” He asks, an amused smile tugging on his lips as he pushes the drink aside. Propping his chin on his hands, Yuuya watches the other quickly consume the rest of the cocktail, ending the splurge with a loud sigh.

 

_“Ha! Too easy!”_

 

He says that, but Sawatari’s head is spinning from rapid consumption of alcohol in such a short period of time. Still, that loopy smile of his doesn’t even throw Yuuya off guard, since he’s expected a reaction like this.

 

“You win this time, Sawatari,” He takes one last sip of the peachy concoction, before offering it to a loyal customer sitting nearby. The young lady gushes, squealing out words of gratitude before graciously taking a few sips. That pleases Yuuya, but what pleases him even more is that Sawatari has already started bursting into fits of giggles, eyes half lidded, all clearly from the aftereffects of his drink. 

 

“Alright, you’re staying here until I close up, and then I’ll take you home.”

 

Sawatari groans, flops onto an available barstool, and complains about just how bitter his drink was. Yuuya laughs again, picking up that cloth that was tossed aside before, and begins cleaning glasses once again.

 

 _“I guess that was a bittersweet victory,”_ are the last words he mutters to Sawatari for the rest of the night.


End file.
